Say NO to corporate control!

In ruling that Bell Canada is not in violation of the Telecommunications Act by slowing down the internet access it sells to wholesale customers, the federal regulator is permitting unfettered corporate control of Canadians' Web experience.

The landmark decision by the CRTC means that Bell and other giant telecoms such as Rogers and Shaw now have free rein to continue "throttling" service to their retail customers and those small companies that rent portions of Bell's network to competitively provide internet service to Canadians.

The CRTC must now honour its commitment to conduct a more detailed probe into whether throttling should be allowed in a general sense.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I would like to express my deep sadness in regards to the CRTC's inability to make a decision that is in the public interest in regards to the CAIP proceeding.

This decision has huge implications for Internet service competition, online innovation, consumer choice and free speech. You have abdicated your responsibility to the Canadian people and put us on a path towards an Internet that is defined by the interests of big telecoms. We rely on the CRTC, as the federal communications regulator, to act in the public interest, which in this case means ensuring we have an open and neutral Internet.

Companies like Bell and Rogers must not be allowed to control our access to the Web or degrade the quality of service we pay to receive from our internet service providers.

Canadians have been outspoken in their support for an open Internet. Please remember that you work for us, not big telecoms.

I hope you right this decision by instituting and firmly upholding net neutrality by requiring ISPs to provide an open, non-discriminatory network as it pertains to applications and content.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
November 20, 2008